Hallway Revelations
by The Hooded Menace
Summary: Valerie is confused about Tucker. Can her 'shoulder angel' help her determine her true feelings?


I, The Hooded Menace, am alive and back with a one-shot! Don't worry; I'm working on my other fics too. Anyway, review or you'll have five BILLION years of bad luck Oo

Disclaimer - I don't own Danny Phantom. When I do, Technus shall FINALLY be MINE:D

**Hallway Revelations**

Valerie was confused. After a certain 'net incident' at her father's work, she had been avoiding Tucker Foley, and now she realized that she had no idea what she was avoiding him for. Sure, he was a geek, but he was a geek before, and that didn't stop her from hanging with him, if only to get information about ghosts. It wasn't that she wasn't talking to him simply because he was unpopular, like she did before she found her ghost vendetta, but when she saw him in the halls she would make sure that their paths could never possibly cross. And it wasn't that he had embarrassed her by stepping into the net; he saved her. If anything, she should have been thanking Tucker, not avoiding him. So why was she avoiding him?

"_That's it_," she noted mentally, _"Next time I see him I am going to walk right up to him and say hello. If I have a real reason for ignoring him, it'll pop up then." _She was so preoccupied with her problem that she didn't notice that she was in a head-on collision course with the root of her problem. That is, until she found herself on the ground, slightly dazed, books scattered everywhere. Automatically she began to apologize, but found herself speechless when she looked up to see Tucker. He was silently gathering her books, an unreadable expression obscuring his face. When he had collected them all, he set them in a neat stack in front of Valerie, who was still sitting cluelessly on the floor.

"Uh, Val, need help getting up?" he asked, looking concerned, "You aren't hurt, are you?"

"Naw, I'm okay," she said, pushing herself up the ground, "I just was thinking."

"And you like to think on the floor why?"

"It's just – I mean – just go away Foley!"

Valerie watched him trudge away with mixed feelings. She knew she was rude to him when he was being nothing but sweet to her, but it wasn't on purpose. It was an instinct, like that of a cornered tiger.

"Great, now I have to thank him AND apologize to him," she muttered under her breath, "Way to go Valerie."

"But then," she argued, "Why should I care about his feelings? He's just a geek."

"But he's a geek who helped you out. On more than one occasion, I might add," spoke a voice out of nowhere.

"Hey, who are you?"

"Your conscience, superego, shoulder angel, whatever you want to call me."

"And you choose right now, in the middle of a hallway, to talk to me?" she retorted as she peered nervously around. Thankfully, the hall had by now emptied.

"Hey, if this is the only way I can make sure you're paying attention, then yes."

Valerie sighed. "Okay, okay, then spill. What 'words of wisdom' would you like to share?"

"I'm just here to help you sort out your dilemma. So, you're unsure how to act around Tucker, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I guess. I've kinda been ignoring him."

The voice snorted. "Really? And this started when? After he saved you and your father's sorry butts?"

"Now that you mention it, yes. Before that I was just playing him, but now – I don't know how to act. I mean, I feel kinda –"

"- Bad because you were completely using him?"

Valerie squirmed. "I wouldn't put it that way, but yes."  
"Then why the change of heart?"

"Because after that night, I – I think I started feeling guilty. He really went out of his way to save me, and he didn't have to."

"The wonders of guilt. But I think there's something more to the story that you're leaving out, isn't there?"

"There is," she sighed. "That night, for the first time, I saw him as more than just a geek. I saw him as a person, a guy, a guy who wasn't afraid to stick out his neck. And I like that."

The voice gave a triumphant laugh. "Ha, I KNEW it! You like him, and so you feel both guilty about how you treat him and awkward because you like him, which adds up to you avoiding him!"

"You know, I think you're right!" Valerie exclaimed. "It all makes sense now! Ohmigosh, I better find Tucker and apologize!"

"I'd suggest going to class first. The emotional drama will wait; Lancer won't."

"Thanks!" she shouted, while grabbing her stuff and running to class, "I'll do that!"

When Valerie was out of sight, Sam Manson stepped out from behind the lockers.

"That ought to keep her away from Danny and make Tucker very happy. A job well done, if I say so myself."

Wearing a decidedly un-Goth-like smile, Sam made her way back to class.


End file.
